Sinatra: An American Classic By John Rockwell
Sinatra: An American Classic
A Definitive Musical Odyssey and Visual Archive of the Century's Ultimate Popular Vocalist and Screen Icon
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Sinatra: An American Classic
- Author: John Rockwell
- Publisher: Random House / Rolling Stone Press, New York
- Publication Date: 1984
- ISBN-10: 039453977X
- ISBN-13: 9780394539775
- Edition Details: First Edition, Stated First Printing.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium oversized cloth-bound hardcover boards, complete with an unclipped illustrated dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Folio / Large Coffee Table Format, 251 pages. Lavishly illustrated with an extensive collection of rare, full-page archival black-and-white and color photographs tracking his career milestones.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The broad cloth-bound boards remain perfectly flat, stable, and true with sharp, structural corner tips. Gilt text elements on the spine are bright, crisp, and completely unmarred.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, tight, and completely square. Internal pages, heavy gloss photo layouts, and text margins are clean, crisp, and beautifully preserved. Free of consumer ink signatures, bookseller price notations, library stamps, or page folding.
- Protective Preservation: Professionally enclosed in a heavy-duty, archival cellophane cover, fully shielding the exterior boards from environmental friction or dust accumulation.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Condition details: Present, intact, and structurally sound. Displays very minor, light cosmetic shelf wear along the edges and extremities commensurate with an original 1984 vintage printing, but completely free of deep open tears, major chipping, or significant color fading.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1984 as a collaborative milestone by Random House and Rolling Stone Press, Sinatra: An American Classic stands as one of the most intellectually serious and visually stunning assessments of Frank Sinatra's massive cultural imprint. Written by legendary music critic John Rockwell, the book functions as a lush, extended critical essay that elevates Sinatra past standard tabloid gossip, directly analyzing his phrasing, vocal genius, and transformation of Tin Pan Alley pop songbooks. Rockwell seamlessly connects Sinatra's gritty roots in the 1930s New Jersey club circuits to the mass bobby-soxer hysteria of the 1940s, his mid-career collapse, and his triumphant resurgence at Capitol Records. Additionally, the text meticulously evaluates Sinatra’s parallel success as an Oscar-winning dramatic screen actor, offering collectors an unrivaled panoramic overview of a definitive American cultural phenomenon.
Author Profile: John Rockwell
John Rockwell is an exceptionally prominent American music critic, author, and cultural journalist. Best known for his highly influential tenure as the principal classical music critic, rock reviewer, and European arts correspondent for The New York Times, Rockwell's academic background spanning Harvard and UC Berkeley shines through his analytical style. Renowned for bridging the gap between high-art musicology and raw pop-culture history, his work on this biography remains celebrated for its deep historical context and musical precision, making this volume an enduring standard in musical journalism.
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